


Neutrality Declared

by HeruKane



Series: Empire of Albion [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Merlin (TV)
Genre: Albion, Alternate Universe, American Revolution, Gen, Great Houses, House Black, House Malfoy, House Potter, House Sage, MACUSA | Magical Congress of the United States of America, Ministry of Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-17
Updated: 2017-05-17
Packaged: 2018-11-01 16:55:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10926078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeruKane/pseuds/HeruKane
Summary: A short story set in the past of my Albion universe. This showcases why the American Magicals did not breakaway from the Empire of Albion at the same as their mundane counterparts broke away from Great Briton.





	Neutrality Declared

  
**Neutrality Declared**  
\-------------------  
    Date: 1800s  
    Location: America  
  
"Order, I call for order," says President Elizabeth McGilliguddy of the Magical Congress for the Americas. As soon as silence descended she spoke again, "the floor is opened for the most honored William Lefay Potter to speak."   
  
"Thank you Madam President. Honored fellows in the interest of not wasting our time I must tell you that this debate is in fact one we have no authority to even consider." Silence then uproar which takes a while to calm down, when it does he continues. "I say this not out of any dislike for what the mundanes are doing but rather as a simple fact - we are a part of the magical Empire of Albion."  
  
Silence then. "But there is no King."  
  
"That might be true," William answers to unknown commenter, "but it does not change the power of our oaths or the existence of the Wards of Avalon. A magical matrix which covers the territory of Albion just as our sworn magical oaths bond us in behavior."   
  
"Are you suggesting," President Elizabeth asks, "that if we were to declare independence in the same way as muggle America is the wards would react."   
  
This has the gathered magicals sitting back in thought.   
  
"Yes I do believe it would, but that is not all that would happen. Noble members, check your magic, you know it would be true - the oaths that your ancestors swore, that your Heads of House still follow, bind you." A pause. "Bind us, for I am just as restricted being of House Potter, for all that its a cadet branch."  
  
A wand light appears as a representative, one Tommy Fingertin asks to speak. "How could the Avalon Wards activate if there is not crowned Monarch. Doesn't it need a person or a council to make the order."   
  
"Yes and no," is William's answer. He soon goes on to explain further, "the more civil features would need an official to activate them. This is why some of the comfort magics no longer operate as consistent as the histories tell us it did when there was a Monarch. But you can believe that for the act of high treason the wards would activate and strike those betraying their oaths."   
  
One Antonius Malfoy then raises his wand light to speak, "honored fellows may I remind you that breaking free from Albion means cutting our ties to the Great Houses." A pause then, "said great houses who govern many of the hundred territories that lie within America. All of which have a Lord and Head of House who would not simply sit back as their territories say 'we are done with you.'   
  
Sebastian Pingy, a commoner member of the Congress gets permission to speak. "So what have the Heads of Houses said to you, my noble fellows."   
  
"Not much," answers Aquarius Black when given leave to speak, "which in itself is all the answer that is needed. I do believe that our Heads of House know we would not betray our oaths by breaking from Albion."   
  
Various nods at that from many of the representatives with ties to that of the Great Houses.   
  
President Elizabeth then speaks, "for the record I recently took the step of contacting the British Minister of Magic to see what they thought of the issue. They are staying out of it nearly entirely, acting only to make sure magical resources and people remain untouched."  
  
The Vice President, Vincent Delcour, then speaks up. "We must remember that just because the Americas were brought into Albion as part of deals with the mundane British Empire the two are not the same."   
  
"What are you suggesting," asks William Potter.   
  
"Simple. We don't change anything magically, the status quo is maintained and magical America remains just as much a part of Albion as it always has been. At the same time why can't we provide some secret behind the scenes acts to reduce the loss of life that such a war would have."   
  
Aquarius Black nods at that, "we walk in the shadows so that the people don't suffer, that is a core Black tenant. I see no issue with the idea of using magic to make sure sickness or disease does not spread nor does violence target the homes of the children, elderly, or infirm."   
  
President Elizabeth looked around the hall for a few minutes before speaking. “I do believe that the negatives of us even considering the possibility of breaking away from Albion outweigh any potential positive. That said, this leads me to asking, does anyone have a problem with us changing the nature of what this session will discuss.”   
  
Silence. None of the noble representatives would dare to approve the idea of independence. At the same time the commoners in the council realize that if their fellows wouldn’t approve then there is no point in discussing it further.   
  
The President then waits for a little while before speaking again. “Right then, as President I am using my authority to change the today's point of discussion. It will now be whether we provide aid to the our muggle brethren, and if so what kind." A pause. "Do I have a second for this."   
  
"I second it," says Alastair Sage, the local representative for the House of Sage. "We cannot break from Albion, so us discussing how will we assist the mundanes while keeping to the code of secrecy is the real discussion."   
  
"I also approve," says Antonius Malfoy into the silence.   
  
"Right then. As the motion passes let us now discuss if and what we will do as it pertains to assisting the mundanes."   
  
Which saw a half of hour of discussion and then a vote, which came down to - wait and see. Humanitarian aid would be given but nothing war related.   
  
Which, in the grand scheme of things, was a highly intelligent decision.   
  
8888  
  
“I am so glad we voted the way we did,” says the President later on to a small gathering.   
  
“Oh, why is that,” said William Potter in question.   
  
“After the meeting I took the liberty of checking the ward stone at the center of the Congress Hall. As the highest representative for this prefecture of Albion I can use it to see how the wards of Albion are reacting to what is going on.”   
  
Nods of understanding come at that before the Malfoy representative speaks, “so what did it tell you.”   
  
“Exactly what Lord Potter had mentioned in the meeting, the ramifications would have been bad.” Here she pauses with a quick shake of the head, “in fact our ability to fight back would have been nullified after the wards activated.”   
  
“That is what I figured,” William Potter says.  
  
“Yes, we dodged a bullet today. One that I wish to make sure no other territory of Albion ever got close to making.” The President says with a grim look. “Which is why I sent private messages to the other Ministers of Magic informing them that no matter what Albion stands strong.”  
  
~~~


End file.
